Impact
WARD: Citywide
COMMITTEE: Human Resources and Court Services
$ IMPACT:
Title
Approval to enter into an agreement with Courtware Solutions, Inc (CSI), 5917 Edenfield Dr., Suite 110, Acworth, GA for the Azure upgrade to the current Courtware software system in the amount of $5.50 per paid citation and allow the Mayor to execute all related documents.
Body
ISSUE: This issue is in tandem with Ordinance 2019-10 which allows for the funding of technology for court. Court Software is in need of an upgrade due to difficulty with response time during Court, for the clerks and probation entering information. The upgrade will take all court related information from a city server to the cloud where it will be maintained by Courtware. The new surcharge will be $6.50 per offense. The current surcharge is set at 5:00 per offense. This software processes court fines, fees and surcharges, it also is used by probation, as ordered by the judge. Reports for court services, police department and probation are obtained through this software.
Moving Courtware to the cloud will release space on a city server, which is currently occupied by court files to relieve other areas in the city. The Information Technology staff will no longer have to oversee the software maintenance and upgrades. Courtware will maintain and provide assistance for any software issues.
BACKGROUND: The Municipal court technology fund was established in April of 2006 to enable Court Services to purchase Court Software. An ordinance was drafted for a surcharge to be in addition to all fines imposed by the municipal court and documented in the bond/fine schedule. There was an additional $1.00 per paid citation allocated to this fund for ongoing technology needs. This amount funds other technology needs in the court/council court services and when there is need for probation.
In 2018, 7992 fines were collected through Courtware a surcharge of $5.00 per citation was collected for a total amount of $39,960, $4.00 of this amount was paid to Courtware ($31,978.00) and $1.00 went into the Court Technology fund ($7,992.00). The technology fund has paid for new computers in court services, scanners at each clerk's desk to enable them to scan in all the file documents, a laptop for probation, a laptop for the Clerk of Court and one for the judge to use during court. The technology fund has assisted with the upgrade of Laserfiche and many other technology needs.
With the new courtware cost using the 2018 citations the estimated amount based on $6.50 per citation could be $51,948.00, $5.50 of this amount would be paid to Courtware ($43,956.00) and $1.00 could go into the technology fund for the same amount which was $7,992.00.
RECOMMENDATION/REQUESTED ACTION: